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The International (FCI) Standard of
the |
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FCI Standard #166 |
Adopted 1997; replaces 23
March, 1991 edition |
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FCI. Classification: |
Group 1 – Guardian and Driving dogs; |
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Versatile use: |
Guardian and Service (Working) Dog |
Short historic
overview:
Since the official establishment in
The German Shepherd Dog, whose systematic
breeding was begun in the year 1899 with the founding of the Club, is from the
former Central and Southern German stock then available. They were bred and
descended from guardian dogs with the objective of creating a working dog
predisposed to high performance. To reach this goal, the breed Standard of the
German Shepherd Dog was determined, with reference
both to the bodily construction as well as to the essential nature and
character traits.
General appearance
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The German Shepherd Dog is a medium-size, slightly stretched,
strong, and well muscled, with the “bone” dry and firm in the over-all
construction. Important
measurements and proportions |
Nature
The German Shepherd Dog must
be, in its essential image, well-balanced, firm in nerves, self-confident,
absolutely calm and impartial, and (except in tempting situations) amiable. He
must possess courage, willingness to fight, and hardness, in order to be
suitable as companion, watchdog, protector, service dog, and guardian.
Head
The head is to be wedge-shaped, large but in proportion to the
body, with length about 40% of the dog’s height at the withers, without being
clumsy or overly long. It is dry in its general appearance, and moderately
broad between the ears. The forehead is seen from in front and from the side to
be only little arched, and without central furrow or with only a slightly
implied one.
The proportion of backskull to foreface
is 50:50. The breadth of backskull corresponds
approximately to its length. The top of the head (seen from above) from the
ears to the nose is a fairly continuous wedge-shaped taper, with a slanting but
not too-sharply defined stop. Upper and lower jaws are definitely strong. The
muzzle is straight, neither a saddle shape nor an arch being desired. The lips
are tight, closing well, and of dark color.
The
nose must be black.
The teeth must be strong, healthy and complete (42,
conforming to the established rule). The German Shepherd
Dog has a scissors bite; i.e., the incisors must mesh in a scissors bite
whereby the incisors of the upper jaw intersect like scissors with those of the
lower jaw. Level (pincer),
over-, and under-bites are faulty, as are large gaps between the
teeth (interrupted arrangement). Likewise incorrect is a straight line of the
incisors. The jawbones must be strongly developed, so that the teeth can be
deeply embedded in their places.
The
eyes
are medium in
size, almond-shaped, somewhat slanted, and not protruding. The color of the eyes should be as dark as possible; light,
piercing eyes are not desired, as this detracts from the dog’s expression.
Ears
The German Shepherd Dog has pricked ears
of medium size, which are carried upright and neither pointing outward nor
inward; they taper to a point and are held with the opening of the shell facing
forward. Tipped over and hanging ears are faulty. Ears laid
back during gaiting and/or relaxation are not faulted.
Neck
The neck should be strong, well-muscled, and without loose skin at
the throat (dewlap). The head is held such that the neck is at an angle of
approximately 45 degrees from the (horizontal) torso.
Body
The overline proceeds from the neck,
continuing over the high, long withers and over the straight back through the
slightly sloping croup without abrupt change.
The back is moderately long, firm, strong, and well muscled. The loin is
broad, short, powerfully fashioned, and well muscled. The croup should be long
and slightly sloping (approx. 23° from the horizontal) and without a break in
the overline as it continues over the tailset.
The
chest
should be
moderately broad, its underline as long as possible, and pronounced. The depth
of chest should be about 45 % to 48 % of the dog’s height at the withers. The
ribs should widen out and curve moderately.
Barrel-shaped chests or slab-sided appearance are equally faulty.
The
tail
extends at
least up to the hock joint, but not beyond the middle of the metatarsus. Its
hair is somewhat bushy on the underside. It is carried in a gentle hanging
curve when relaxed, and is lifted more in excitement and in movement, though
not over the horizontal. Surgical corrections are forbidden.
Limbs
Forehand
The front limbs
are seen from all sides to be straight, and from the front view are perfectly
parallel.
Shoulder blade and upper arm are of equal
lengths accumulated and firmly attached to the torso with medium-strong muscling.
The angle between shoulder blade and upper arm amounts to, in the ideal case
90°, but as a rule is 110°.
The elbows, either when standing or moving,
may not be turned out; likewise not pinched together. The forearms in the
standing dog are seen in all views to be straight and perfectly parallel to
each other, dry, and firmly muscled. The pastern has a length of approximately
1/3 that of the forearm and has an angle of approx. 20° to 22° to this. Both a slanting pastern (more than 22°) as well as a steep pastern (less
than 20°) are harmful to working suitability, particularly endurance.
The
paws
are round, well
closed and arched, the soles hard, but not inflexible. The nails are sturdy and
of a dark color.
Hindquarters
The position of the hind legs is slightly toward the rear, and
viewed from behind the hindlegs are parallel to each
other. Upper thigh and lower thigh are roughly of equal length and form an
angle of approximately 120°. The thighs are powerful and well muscled.
The
hock joints are sturdily built and firm; the metatarsus is vertical from the
hock joint.
The
paws
are closed,
slightly arched, the pads hard and of dark color, the
nails sturdy and arched, and also dark.
Movement
The German Shepherd Dog is a trotter. The limbs must be so harmonious
with each other in length and angulation, that
without creating much undulation of the topline, the
hindquarters can push the torso forward in such a manner that the stride
matches that of the forequarters.
Every tendency
toward over-angulation of the hind quarters decreases
the firmness and the endurance, and with that the working ability. With correct
structural proportions and angulation, a
far-reaching, ground-covering, level gait results, which
conveys the impression of effortless forward movement. With the head
thrust forward and tail slightly lifted it presents, in a fairly level,
balanced, and smooth trot, one uninterrupted, gently flowing overline from the tips of the ears over the nape and back,
through to the end of the tail.
Skin
The skin is (loosely) contiguous without, however, forming folds.
Coat
Condition of the hair
The correct type of haircoat for the
German Shepherd Dog is the Stockhaar (straight, harsh
topcoat) with undercoat. The topcoat should be as tight as possible, straight,
harsh, and lying closely and firmly. On the head between the ears, on the front
side of the legs, and on paws and toes it is short; at the neck somewhat longer
and more abundant. On the backs of the legs the hair grows longer as far down
as the wrist, and correspondingly down to the hock. At the back side of the
thighs it forms moderate trousers.
Colors
Black with reddish-brown, brown, tan,
and/or light gray markings. Solid black. Sable with dark overcast. Black saddle and
mask.
Inconspicuous, small white chest markings, likewise light color on the insides, are allowed but not desirable. The
nose bulb must be black in all colors of the breed.
Missing mask, light (piercing) eye color, as well as
light to whitish markings at chest and under/inner sides, light claws, and
red-tipped tail are to be considered as deficient pigment. The undercoat has a
light gray color. The color white is not permitted.
Size/weight*
Males: Withers height 60 cm to 65 cm; weight 30 kg to 40 kg
Females: Withers height 55 cm to 60 cm; weight 22 kg to 32 kg
Testicles
Dogs should display two evidently normally developed testicles,
situated in the scrotum.
Faults
All deviations from the above-mentioned points should be considered
as errors, the severity of fault appraisal being strictly in proportion to the
degree of the deviation.
Major Faults
·
Anything that departs from the
Standard and known characteristics of the breed in relation to the suitability
for work;
·
Ear faults: held out to the
side; low-set; tipped over; overset (tipped toward each other); weak;
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Considerably lacking in pigment;
·
Considerable deficiency in
overall firmness.
Dentition
faults:
All deviations from the scissors bite and the formation of the
teeth that are not dealt with in the following list of specific faults.
Disqualifying
Faults (also ineligible for breed survey):
·
a) Weak character, biting,
nervous;
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b) Demonstrated severe hip dysplasia
·
c) Cryptorchidism
(unilateral or bilateral), clearly unequal or stunted, atrophied testicles;
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d) Deformed ears or tails;
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e) Dogs with deformities;
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· f) Dentition faults involving the
absence of: one P-3 and another tooth, or one fang (canine), or one P-4, or one Molar-1 or Molar-2, or any total of three or more teeth; |
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g) Incisor (bite)
irregularities: overshot by 2mm or more, undershot, or pincer bite (even or
level in entire incisor area);
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h) Oversize or undersize by more
than one centimeter;
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i) Albinism;
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j) White haircoat
even if the dog has dark eyes and nails;
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k) Langstockhaar
(topcoat long, straight, soft, not lying tightly; with undercoat present; flags
(feathering) on ears and legs, bushy trousers, bushy tail with formation of
flags on the underside);
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l) Langhaar
(topcoat long, soft; without undercoat, generally parting in the middle of the
back; flags at ears, legs, and tail).
*Dogs
are 60-65 cm (23.6 to 25.6 inches) and 30-40 kg (66-88 lbs.);
NOTE:
for changes in the SV rules about dentition certification, see the Breed survey - changes
Translated
by Fred Lanting
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Copyright 2001 Fred Lanting, Canine Consulting.
Mr.GSD@juno.com. All rights reserved. Please
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NOTE: A well-respected AKC and Schaferhund
Verein judge, Mr. Lanting
has judged in more than a dozen countries, including the prestigious FCI Asian
Show hosted by Japan Kennel Club, the Scottish Kennel Club, a Greyhound
specialty in